Thoughts from the Dirty City

I admit it, I have been putting off this post. The topic is something I am self conscious about and have not looked forward to discussing. It is what it is though. The time has come to accept, get over and learn to love.  Blah. Blah. Blah.

Anyway, be warned. There will be talk of my bras, my breast size and inevitably a ton of whining and bitching – there will not be pictures.

The task: turn a stern eye on your support garments

That is the only kind of eye I have for my support garments. Alright, that may be a bit dramatic. But honestly, shopping for bras at my cup size is one part depressing and ten parts frustrating.

The problem is I am a DD. The majority of shops carry this size only in styles best fitting someone with blue hair and a walker. It is beyond hard to find my size in something cute, age appropriate and well made. Not impossible, just hard and torturous. And when I say well made, I mean it. I don’t buy cheap bras. At this size they NEED to be well made. Not to say that I really have issues with sag or droop (I’m pretty lucky in that regard) but gravity is a motherfucker and I don’t take chances. Also, cheap bras in a DD don’t exist – at least not cute ones.

My current undergarment collection consists of:
two completely function only, all white and super supportive numbers that are generally worn under work clothes (though one of them is starting to look a little worse for the wear and needs replacing)

ONE super cute superstar that I am in love with and wear to often. It puts, and keeps the girls exactly where they are supposed to be

Two overly padded demi-cut numbers that I rarely wear (seriously – who the fuck pads a DD?? And what was I thinking when I bought them?)

Two others that are complete torture devices. Both are super cute and fit perfectly. However, they are minimizer bras. In theory, I love this because I am incredibly self conscious about my chest and always looking for ways to play that area down a bit. In reality all they do is flatten my lady lumps into pancake/shelf like oddities. Ugly and uncomfortable. These got tossed.

The rest are staples. Colorful cotton numbers that just do what they are supposed to do without making me feel elderly or matronly. These also are starting to show some age and should be replaced.

Time to go shopping I suppose. I keep hearing rumors that peeps like Oprah have brought more attention to the shopping worlds short comings when it comes to proper support garments for larger ladies. Here’s hopin’!

In addition to making piles, the participants of Wardrobe Therapy were asked to indentify their Joyous Colors.

Joyful Colors: These are colors that make you happy. With any luck, some of them also give you clear skin and sparkling eyes when worn next to your face. (Quick-and-dirty trick: match your eye color or go with its color-wheel opposite.) We will talk about “color my season” systems when I post my answers on this topic, but I’m urging you to start with colors you like rather than with someone’s color cards. (Mella is hereby issued a “bye” from having an emotional response to color.)

There isn’t a color that I don’t like, so that is a bit of a tricky question for me. So I’m just going to start with colors I’m told I look good in based on the “season system”.

I have always been told, and for the most party agree, that I am a winter.  I say this because I have pale skin with very pink undertones, hazel eyes and dark brown/black hair with red highlights. According to most books and websites winters look best in deep/rich jewel tones and dark neutrals. They also say unsaturated white based pastels work. For the most part I agree. All those colors do look great on me. Except, okay I don’t agree at all. In fact I think the entire system is flawed.

I studied color a bit in art school and the real trick is learning what base color looks good on you. By base color I mean a primary. Every color under the sun has a base of yellow, red or blue. Personally, I look best in tones with a blue base. Red can work too, as long as it doesn’t have a lot of yellow in it.

This is also why I think everyone can wear black (and gray, but it’s a bit trickier as the base is harder to distinguish). All blacks sway a bit to one of the primary colors. It’s usually pretty subtle. Until you put two black shirts next to each other that have a different base colors that is. Yellow based blacks always look a little green next to a red or blue based black. In a perfect world this wouldn’t happen as black is truly the most neutral of all the colors.

One of my first color study assignments was to create black paint by mixing all the primaries together. We were told nothing except that the mix would not contain equal parts of each color. Oh, and that the actual primaries are cyan, magenta and yellow. I must have blazed through a dozen bottles of each pigment never actually reaching a perfect black. In the end, no one did. It was later explained that paints are also slightly flawed and therefore will never give you perfect results. Lighting and dilution can also effect it. But it was a great way to teach just how powerful the base color really is.

(Oh, and it’s equal part cyan and magenta with a little yellow added till black is achieved. Try it, it’s fun!)

(Wait…how did I get that off course? Real it back in Bet!)

Deep breath.Wow, that was the most long winded explanation of:
I can pull of anything with a blue base and most things with a red base….just keep me away from yellow. It makes me look jaundiced.

I take that back, I love lime green and wear it anyway.

So there you have it. I have no REAL rules when it comes to color. I love it too much to limit it in any way.

Something is missing. I have written an entire post on color without a single photo or example. That will not do….

Inspiration for colors that I love, covet and am looking for right now generally come from the Pantone site. Every season they do an amazing fashion color report. Check out the full color report, along with all kinds of other color goodies here and here.

I almost forgot!

A few weeks ago I started this. I have trouble getting things done on the weekend. I just go into these zones and the next thing I know it is Sunday evening and I am scrambling to accomplish something. So I decided that every Friday I would list FIVE things I want to accomplish over the weekend. The very next Thursday I sliced and diced my hand and gave myself a pass on accomplishing anything.

But I can’t justify, or stand the thought of yet another weekend getting by without actually doing something. Anyway, here they are (cause i know you all care SOOO much how I’m gonna spend my weekend) the five things Imma do before Monday:

1) Spring clean my car – inside and out

2) Cleveland film fest and Melt

3) Finish up week 2 wardrobe therapy tasks

4) Learn to properly curl my hair

5) Spring clean at least one room in my apartment (bathroom is almost done – just need to hit the floor one more time and gut the linnen closet)

I think this is how I must look every Friday afternoon when leaving the office.
It is certainly how I feel.
(click image to view)

Just a quick update:

Last week I wrote about the tragic mishap that led to me needing 7 (I counted when the bandage came off) stitches. I’m not posting the picture of it all unwrapped (you’re welcome) but I will post this one:

I took that yesterday and today’s bandage is even smaller! Hooray for being able to use my left hand again. Still have to keep it clean and dry and stuff, but for the most part all the pain and discomfort is gone. And now that the bandage is shrinking I can wiggle my fingers. That means the cramping and aching from keeping it straight all the time (due to the bandage) is going away.

It still looks gross under there, but no where near as bad as I was expecting. The healing process has started so the skin is shrinking. I can already see and feel some scaring and the skin is getting that nice shiny dead look. Eventually that will fade and the skin will soften up. I remind myself of this every time I clean it.

The really good news is my nail. There is some bruising where the stitches are but I don’t think it is going to fall off. Another hooray for manicures in the not so distant future!!

The stitches come out on Tuesday. I’m more nervous about that than I care to admit. But my friends assure me it is totally painless so I’m trying not to freak. Additionally, I am so ready to not have stitches anymore that the fear is balanced out.

I know I’m still giong to have a bit of time before it is totally healed. My hope is that after the stitches come out I will at least be fully functional again. As of right now, typing and washing my hair among many other things are still a royal pain in the ass.

It’s week two of Wardrobe Therapy! What does that mean? Time to pile some shirts (and at some point bras…but I’m saving that torture for another post). If you have no idea what “piles” are all about you can read all about them on drwende’s site here. Honestly though, they aren’t too complicated.

Anyway. Tops. Sorting. Ugh. I knew this little project was going to turn into work eventually. Okay, that might be a BIT dramatic. The truth is, I got A LOT of clothes. Most of which I don’t wear. Which is exactly why I signed up for this little adventure.

I’m not going to pile every top I own here. Well not for photographic purposes anyway. Though it would probably do me good to go the extra mile. For now, I’m just going to focus on the highlights.

Pile 1: Velveteen Rabbits

Not as bad as I expected. I have a tendency to hang on to clothing long past their expiration date. I’m actually fairly impressed half my closet isn’t in that photo.

At the top there is my hoodie. I live in that hoodie. It is fading and the pocket on the front is coming undone. There is no good way to go about fixing faded black cotton. This one really just needs to be replaced.

Same with the tee sitting next to it. At one point I think that gray was almost black. Sad, but true.

See also the three shirts on the bottom left. An assortment of short sleeve black tops. One tee, one polo and one button up.  All faded and in desperate need of replacing.

To the right is evidence of my addiction to cardigans. It’s a common addiction and one I’m not remotely ashamed of. I can’t say the same for these particular cardigans though. Pilling, missing buttons and a string of beads that are barely clinging to life. All mendable.

As a side note: anyone noticing a color theme? Black. I admit, I love black and own way more of it than I ought. But I also love color and wear it often. The thing is, I dress in layers. Even in the summer. I can’t tell you the last time I wore just one top. So I own a ton of black. It’s neutral and makes throwing color into another layer super easy.

Pile 2: Torture Devices

Yeah so I got more than a few of these for various reasons.

The top pic is my collection of jackets (those not belonging to suits).

There was a time in my life when my job required that I wear a jacket everyday. Those pictured are the ones left behind. They come in handy from time to time when I need to look professional but don’t need to be in a suit. And honestly, I love the idea of a nice jacket.

The problem are my shoulders. They are a bit broad and nothing really accentuates that like a jacket. I always feel like a linebacker when I wear them.

Bottom pic: The two button ups on the left are too big for me everywhere except the bust. I feel super frumpy whenever I wear them. It’s a problem I have with almost all button up shirts. But they look semi polished under the jackets with a nice pair of pants and they are well suited for my current job (aside from the fit). And they are nice in the summer for the office because they are light weight and easy.

Just below the button up is a cute little gypsy blouse that I totally fell in love with and actually looks cute on me. There are a few problems. The sleeves are a tad too revealing and I’m self conscious about my arms. But that is easily fixed with a cardigan. Also the neckline is elastic and irritates the crap outta me. It itches and clings and generally makes me miserable. I can’t remember the last time I wore it. It’s gone.

Below that are three sweaters that are just a bit to snug in all the wrong places making me feel like a sausage in knit casing. Gone.

Bottom right. I love this shirt. I thought I would hate it thinking the ruffles would add unwanted bulk to my chest. But when I put it on it did amazing things and managed to balance all my body parts out perfectly. And it’s a button up. It was like a miracle. The problem, those ruffles are IMPOSSIBLE to iron and it always just ends up looking sloppy and bad. I’m not getting rid of it, but I don’t have a ton of hope for it surviving much longer in my closet.

The rest are tees that sadly shrunk in the dryer. I love them too much to part with them, but they generally end up being worn under things and even then make me feel like I can’t breath. Oh, and the black one is actually of my own design so no chance am I getting rid of that.

Pile 3: Superstars

Sadly, I have none. Don’t get me wrong I have clothes that I love, but none of them are anything noteworthy. Certainly not anything that could be deemed “superstar”.

Pile 4: Stalwart Staples

This is where the bulk of my wardrobe sits. Staples. I mentioned I liked to layer. This should show just how much I meant that.

I have a huge collection of tanks, pictured top left (perfect for summer layering). And an ever more insane collection of long sleeved tees (perfect for fall and winter layering – living in Ohio that is pretty much all we have). I also have quite a few basic tees and hoodies that work well for layering anytime of year. I didn’t picture them because I ran out of room.

You may also notice this is generally where all the color comes into play. Loads of color in every variety. Though I do try to avoid pastels as they wash me out. I have dark hair but very pale skin (more on color in a separate post).

Bottom left are two random shirts that look great both over and under other shirts. I wear them often. Now that I think about it, both may sort of qualify as superstars. They are right there on the line.

What you do not see pictured are 3/4 sleeves. I am on the tall side and they always just seem a tad off on my body and I am totally uncomfortable in them.

Pile 5: Same Time, Next Year

These are my winter staples. The one on the left is winter casual. On the right is the go-to office appropriate. I have lots of sweaters but these two saw lots of action this winter. They are super easy to throw over pretty much anything.

Pile 6: Sentimental Journeys

On the left is the shirt that pretty much defines my youth. At least in my mind. I never wore it often but I can’t ever imagine parting with it.

On the right is a dress that was gifted to me. By a boy. And I absolutely love it. It’s super slinky and sparkly, and when it fit it hit my body in all the right places. I have never had a dress that made me feel so amazing. Working to someday fit into it again as I still think it is just amazing.

Pile 7: Mysteries of the Lost Shopping Trip

In theory, they are all pretty. The real problem, synthetic fibers. Even when over another shirt they cling in weird ways and generally make me feel like I am wrapped in cling wrap. Also, many incorporate elastic in some way shape or form. So, cling wrap with a rubber band.

Oh, except for the one on the top right. It’s a hoodie. And cotton. And orange. All things I love. But its got this hawaiian floral print thing happening. WTF was I thinking? I don’t do floral, especially hawaiian floral.

Lessons:

1. Avoid synthetic fabric and anything with elastic.

1A. I like cotton.

2. GET SOME SUPER STARS. Seriously. I need some special pieces in my wardrobe.

3. When black becomes gray, replace the shirt.

4. Me and button ups don’t get along. Avoid them for the most part.

5. Keep on layering, but try to avoid the super basics as I am well covered on those.

6. Jackets are great, but not with these shoulders. Perhaps there is one out there cut just right…I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled.

7. Add more color in different ways.

I have deemed it the FrankenFinger.

(the bruising doesn’t show in this pic, but the swelling and current bandaged-ness does)

See, I had a bit of an accident at work yesterday. Took off a large potion of my finger with an exacto. Luckily, I work in a hospital so the ride to the ER was quick. Six (maybe 7 – cant really remember – the brain does funny things in moments like that) stitches later, including one or two through my nail, and humpty dumpty was all put back together again.

I’m not entirely sure what is going on under the bandage right now. Shock and adrenaline made me a bit loopy during the ER visit and thankfully I don’t really remember much. Tomorrow I take off the bandages to asses the damage, clean and rebandage. I fully admit the thought off seeing it terrifies me.

The lack of use of my left hand makes typing a bit tricky, along with pretty much everything else. But as soon as I can type again without wanting to scream there will be a new post all about life with only one hand. By then I am hoping to see the humor in the hot mess antics that are my current situation. (Hey, you try washing your hair with one hand!)

Also, there go all my lovely manicure plans for then near future. Due to the stitches through my nail it is probably going to fall off. Booo.

This is my life, as a clutz.

1. Remove one (and only one!) unsuccessful item from your wardrobe.I mentioned in my previous post I was considering one of my many bottles of OPI. But finding a bottle I was willing to part with was proving to be a bit more challenging than I figured it would be. Thankfully, I had a backup plan – jeans.We all have jeans that don’t fit, never fit, or that we are saving in hopes they will fit again. I have samplings of each of these. So I moved on to the denim drawer. Fully prepared to toss one of the offenders.  Specifically, the 7 for All Mankind jeans pictured below. It isn’t that they don’t fit. For the longest time these fell into the category of “jeans I hope to fit into again someday” Well, magically they do fit. And I do love them. However, they are worn, have paint stains and ever expanding holes. They aren’t big enough or slouchy enough to pull off any of these traits with any kind of style or intention.

   But they are comfy, and they are the “HOLY SHIT THEY FIT AGAIN” jeans. So I started to wonder…

   

   Ah memories.

   Yes. Memories. It hit me that these were not the worst offenders of hangeroner pants in my wardrobe. Nope. That award goes to these bad boys.

   

   They are so offensive I had pretty much forgotten I owned them.

   Are they khakis? Camel colored dress pants? Does it matter? Truth is, no matter what specific category they fall into, they have never looked good on me. They cling where they shouldn’t, droop in ways I didn’t think were possible…and well, the pockets. For the love of god, the pockets. They gape and hang and generally make a mockery of my hips. Goodbye ugly ill fitting pants! I will not miss you.

2. Do the opening questionnaire.
3. Find yourself some sources of inspiration on personal style.I fully admit to loving fashion mags. I have long since let my subscriptions to Vogue and Cosmo laps, but from time to time I indulge and pick up and issue that looks interesting.
   I especially love the slightly unknown/foreign ones you can pick up in bookstores.
   So yeah, the obvious: Vogue, Cosmo, Purple, Glamor, InStyle, etc.

   In addition to fashion mags I LOVE design mags like HOW. The are a great source of inspiration especially in regards to interesting color combos and up and coming designers that tend to be fashion forward.

   My favorite fashion website is http://nymag.com
   The Cut (blog).This is a great site for checking in on the latest fashion shows.

   I also love to people watch and try to make mental notes when I see something cute. (I also admit to checking out the trainwrecks and making mental notes of those putting them in the – NEVER DO THAT – category)

4. Do something that makes you feel good about your body.The mani / pedi treatment is part of my routine. It’s not so much that I feel a NEED to do it every week. I just find it relaxing and usually by the end of the week I need a mindless task like painting my nails to clear the cobwebs from the workweek.

   I would love to list that as my “feel good” task, but I sort of feel like it’s cheeting. Though I will add it has been a LONG time since I have gotten a prof. pedi and may do this very soon – but not this week.

   Instead, I’ve decided to indulge myself with a season pass to the Zoo. I’m lucky to have one about ten minutes from my house. Every summer I go a few times and usually by the end of summer I am kicking myself because for the same price of my few visits I could have had a pass and come as often as I wanted. Plus, I love the idea of spending idle weekend afternoons chilling at the zoo with my camera and sketchbook. (Imma leave out all the feelings of guilt about caged animals and stuff. Yeah it’s there. Whatever.)
   As a bonus, a pass to my local zoo will also get me into the big fancy zoo just a bit farther north.

   Hooray summer – your almost here!

This weeks Wardrobe Therapy task includes getting rid of ONE item. This is photographic proof that I am contemplating making my one item a bottle of nailpolish. There are a few bottles in that line up that don’t get worn often. But there are isn’t a single color there that NEVER got worn. And for the most part I really like all of the colors. But there are a few that are getting a little old and should be replaced. Sigh

Now I just have to decide wich one…or maybe I’ll get real and toss one of the MANY pairs of ill fitting jeans I have.

So, I’ve signed up on for some Spring Wardrobe Therapy. Consider yourself warned.

Phase one, filing out the questionnaire.

1. Thinking primarily (but not necessarily exclusively) about looks, who’s your favorite performer of your own gender and species? Why?

Dita Von Teese (street wear, not stage wear)
She has such a defined style and always looks perfectly put together and comfortable in her own skin…not to mention the pencil skirts and insanely tall footwear. She just seems so classy. Considering she pulls this off while being a stripper impresses the hell out of me.

2. If you could live in any historic era with a really good clothing budget (as well as soap, toothpaste, and delicing as needed), when would you choose?

The 40’s or the early 70’s / late 60’s hippie rock wear
I know. Could there be any two styles more different? And yet I love them both, for opposite reasons. The 40’s style is so clean and put together. Grown up and classy. The 70’s were just so laid back and comfortable. Easy and fun. No rules or inhibitions.

3. What’s your favorite painting or other form of visual art? Why?

Can I just be vague and say graphic design, especially that of the Swiss school of thought?
If forced to name a few fine artist: Bernini, Mondrian, early Picaso and Monet

4. What is your first memory in which clothes are important?

The first time I remember going shopping for new school clothes and actually getting a say in the clothes I came home with was the year before junior high. I vaguely remember some Forenza sweatshirts and County Seat. (see question #8 for visuals)

5. What is your favorite garment ever? Why?

I had a black summer dress in high school that I wore everywhere. If it was cold I threw a sweater over it. in the summers it usually got paired with a t-shirt and combat boots to “keep it real” or a pair of flats to make it appropriate. It just suited me, and the way I lived at that time perfectly. Around that same time I had a blue skirt with apples and cherries on it that I made from an old house dress purchased from the thrift store. I think I wore it just as often.

6. What is your favorite garment in your wardrobe right now?

My Pirates Cove hoodie. It is more wearable woobie than article of clothing at this point and I practically live in it. It’s not the prettiest thing I own, or even the article I think looks best on me. It’s just really comfortable and easy.

7. What is the worst clothing purchase you can remember making?

A really expensive lingerie set. It was beautiful and decadent in every way. It was also incredibly uncomfortable and looked like shit under clothing. Hence, it never got worn, and because of the nature of the garment could not be returned. I still have it and occasionally try to make it work to no avail.

8. What’s your most embarrassing clothing-related memory other than a bad purchase?

Forenza and County Seat. For an entire year (7th grade) everything I owned came from one of those two store. Pleated pants, oversized sweaters and leggings never equaled hawt on my body.

9. What body part (no more than three!) are you proud of and expect compliments on?

I would say my nails. I have long nail beds and my nails are fairly strong and solid so they don’t chip or break often. Though I do keep them on the short side. It is rare that I leave the house without a proper manicure.

10. What body part (again, no more than three!) seems to require management, if not coaxing, cajoling, and sometimes outright begging if it’s to please you?

My entire mid section, specifically my stomach. But more than that, the girls and I tend to be more foe than friend. No matter what support I give them they either rise to my chin, or seem to wilt. They make shopping for undergarments beyond challenging, and cause me some back pain. I hate that I can’t wear shirts with buttons. They never fit. They are either way to big to compensate for the girls, or are busting at the seems.

11. If you could dress however you wanted all the time, what might you include?

In my head I would love to look totally put together in a smart skirt or dress everyday.
In reality, I’m a jeans and tshirt kinda girl and given the opportunity that is probably what you would find me in.
Though I think that is mostly laziness rather than preference.

12. If you could shop at any store (or from any designer), which would you choose?

More than anything I would love to find a line of clothing that seems built for my body. It would be so nice to have a/any go to store or label and know that chances were good the clothes would fit.

But I love Rodarte and McQueen (but could never pay that kind of money for clothes and be able to live with myself)

13. Where do you ordinarily shop now?

Sadly, most of my current wardrobe is from TJMaxx and Target. Though I have a lot of thrift store finds and love digging for buried treasures in thrift and vintage shops.

14. What clothing, accessory, or prettifying need (if any) do you enjoy shopping for?

I love shopping for makeup and shoes. There is never any moment of self doubt or body loathing. Two things that I spend way more time dwelling on than I am proud of and am working on changing.
With makeup, it’s just so easy to change things up and create a whole new look that doesn’t take a whole lot of money or commitment.

15. Which one do you most loathe shopping for?
Bras. Without question. (see #7) Followed closely by pants.

16. Do you consider yourself low-, medium-, or high-maintenance?

When it comes to my clothes I am super low maintenance. More so than I would like to be.
In regards to makeup and hair I would say I am medium. I wear makeup and straighten my hair pretty much everyday.

17. What are the two most frequent occasions that you dress for and how would you describe them?

I think like most people, I have a work wardrobe and a non-work wardrobe.
My work clothes are fairly nondescript business casual. I’m not a conservative person, but the environment I work in is very conservative. I try to incorporate pieces that are a little more me but more often than not I am shooting for appropriate and comfortable more than anything.
At home I tend to lean towards jeans and tshirts. But I love color and mixing textures and styles. If I’m really trying to look nice I would say my personal non-work clothes tend to be more eclectic and funky.

18. What was your favorite Hallowe’en costume ever?

The witch costume my dad made for me when I was little. But it had way more to do with the makeup than the black sack tied at the waist with a rope. The makeup was really intricate with lots of little lines and smudges made with burned corks. By the end it looked more like I was wearing a mask than makeup.

19. What do you see as the current problem(s) with your wardrobe and/or look?

Honestly, for the past few years my weight has been shifting a lot. There hasn’t been any long periods of time when I was a consistent weight. The result is a closet full of clothes that don’t quite fit. Everything is either a little too big, too small, too short too long…you get the idea. It’s so frustrating. And it’s hard to go out shopping when I am working on changing my daily habits to be healthier and feel better about myself, and also yes, to be thinner. But there comes a point when you have to address where you are before considering where you would like to be.

20. At the end of WT, what lovely compliments do you want onlookers to give you?

More than anything I would like to feel comfortable and confident in what I am wearing and with myself in general. I guess for now, I’m more interested in being able to give myself an honest compliment than I am in getting one from onlookers.

Lately I have been really bad about getting anything accomplished on the weekends. Well, anytime really. But getting nothing accomplished on a Sunday is somehow more upseting than getting nothing accomplished on a Wednesday night.Because of this, I’ve decided to post a list every Friday of FIVE things I would like to accomplish over the weekend. Besides, I’m bored and lists are fun.

Right. So…this Friday’s five things are:

1.  Clean my bathroom – Spring time edition including the washing of all bathmats and the organizing of closet.

2. Watch one movie. I almost NEVER do this. If I decided to go for down time I end up half watching lame tv while reading crappy magazines. Hoping to make that movie the Secret of NIMH, but we’ll see.

3. Pick up odds and ends of mail that are still being delivered to my rents house. Oh and stay for a visit and hoover any and all food they may have left visible.

4. Visit the gym Saturday AND Sunday.

5.  Hit the Cuyahoga Valley for at least one hike. Providing it doesn’t rain all weekend.

I mentioned in yesterday’s post that there was a new OPI line out, and that I was on it. Actually, the line came out early February as it always does. But in the hubbub of the other new line I completely overlooked it. See, right about the same time the Spring line was released, a limited edition line dedicated to the movie Alice in Wonderland was released. I didn’t notice there were two lines and just assumed the Alice line WAS the Spring line. Silly, silly me.

First things first, the Alice and Wonderland line.

The limited edition polishes are Absolutely Alice, Mad as a Hatter, Off With Her Red! and Thanks So Muchness! True to the form of the movie, the line is crazy, over the top and full of whimsy…and glitter. I (magpie) opted for the most shimmery and sparkly of the lot.
Mad as a Hatter. And is it ever glittery. No pic can really do this polish justice. You have to see it in person to appreciate just how disco this polish really is.

To Hong Kong

Last week, or maybe the week before I realized I had missed the actual Spring line. I scoped it out online, and realized I hadn’t actually missed it at all. In fact, I had already sported one of the new shades without even realizing it.  A few weeks ago (or a month ago, time really isn’t my friend these days) I coned my friend Cookbook into going to get a mani with me. Without even thinking about it I dove for the new line. I try to go for colors I don’t already own when getting a mani, so it makes sense. I went with Jade is the New Black and LOVE LOVE LOVEd it.

But when I went to the store to pick up a bottle it dawned on me that I already own several OPI greens. And while none of them are exactly like Jade is the New Black, I still figured I should go for something a bit more crazy and different. My hand went right for the bright blue bottle of Suzi Says Feng Shui.

Side note
Last night after purchasing my new bottle I realized I own WAY more nail polish than any one person would ever need. It was a little shocking when I lined them all up (yes by color). My head started planting seeds of “no new nail polish, this has gotten insane”! But I already know I am going to be heading back for that green. I am going to try really hard to resist Panda-Monium Pink as it is strikingly similar to Mod About Pink, which I already own. Though it is a bit more purple and reminds me of one of my old, no longer available favorites, Purplink. See what I mean, totally out of control.

Today, after looking a bit more into a new project I have signed on to (Wardrobe Therapy – more on that later) I realized that perhaps instead of going cold turkey it is time to start sorting. Tossing old bottles, almost empty bottles and impulse purchase bottles of colors I know I will never wear. Clear out the cobwebs and make some room for the exciting new colors on the horizon*.

*A little birdy on the inside tells me that summer has sheer pinks lined up and a surprise collection inspired by the new Shrek movie is also in the works. I might be able to resist the sheer polish, but the bright playdogh looking bottles I am imagining for the Shrek collection will be impossible to resist.
All images courtesy of http://www.alllacqueredup.com
If your looking for detailed info on each shade, or other brands or lines…hell pretty much anything and everything nail polish you should check out this site.

Historically I have been a big believer in fancy make-up and cleansers from department stores. They smell pretty and have amazing packages. For some reason those two things combine in magical ways that make you forget how ridiculous the price tag is.

But then the economy tanked and the whole world went broke, my self included. One of the first things to go was all my fancy make-up and yummy smelly soaps. I just couldn’t justify braking bank for such obvious luxury items. And honestly, it hasn’t been so bad. Most of the make-up I found at the drug store I’ve been really happy with. There were a few disasters, but I try not to think about those as the scars are finally just about faded. Even the cleansers, toners, moisturizers and random other shit Cosmo insists I use or will crack and crumble were good to me, for a while anyway

Little by little over the past month or so some bad shit has started to happen north of my neck. I know that the real reason for the change is that the long dry NEO winter air sucked all the life outta my skin. Whatever the cause, I was desperate to do something to fix it, fast. My face was becoming a combo platter of oil, and breakouts with the added kicker of dry, red itchy patches. Hawtness.

Last week I decided to overhaul my skin care closet. I hit the department store and magpie that I am fell prey to the make-up counter as well. But being that this was not my first trip to rip off island I knew better than to fork over cash for something I had never used before (make-up wise*).  I got a sample of the product to take home with me and try first. That way if I wasn’t satisfied I could return said product hassle free. And thank god I did. Cause this shit really is a rip off. The $10 bottle of foundation I purchased at Target not only has better coverage, but it stays on longer and doesn’t smudge. Granted the unassuming bottle and lack of fragrance isn’t as exciting to play with in the morning while I get ready for work. But seriously, at those costs it should at least WORK. I guess I can chalk it up to one more lesson learned from the recession.

I will give it to the department store brands for being able to make their products smell and look so amazing on the shelf. And to be honest, I don’t know if I will ever be able to give up the fancy skin care again. After less than a week my skin is starting to clear up and even out. What can I say, the magpie in me still lives on, at least a little bit.

*They generally only give samples of liquid make-up. You know the kind you layer on like spackle. The other stuff you have to just try them out. They say you can’t return them…but I have before. At those prices they really can’t argue with much.

Additionally. I know, there is a new OPI line out. Hong Kong or something. No worries. I’m on it.

Very much looking forward to the McQueen show!!